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- Artist: Paul Simon
- Rating:
- Release Date: 1972 01
- Total Time: 34:03
- Type: Lyrics are included with the album
- Genre: Rock
Review
If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection, Paul Simon's post-split debut. From the opening cut, "Mother and Child Reunion" (a Top Ten hit), Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fisherman's son, "Duncan" (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, David Spinozza, Mike Manieri, Ron Carter, and Hal Blaine, along with such guests as Stefan Grossman, Airto Moreira, and Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"). It was miles removed from the big, stately ballad style of Bridge Over Troubled Water and signaled that Simon was a versatile songwriter as well as an expressive singer with a much broader range of musical interests than he had previously demonstrated. You didn't miss Art Garfunkel on Paul Simon, not only because Simon didn't write Garfunkel-like showcases for himself, but because the songs he did write showed off his own, more varied musical strengths. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music GuideTracks
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Mother and Child Reunion | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (3:05) |
| Duncan | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (4:39) |
| Everything Put Together Falls Apart | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (1:59) |
| Run That Body Down | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (3:52) |
| Armistice Day | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (3:55) |
| Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (2:42) |
| Peace Like a River | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (3:20) |
| Papa Hobo | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (2:34) |
| Hobo's Blues | Paul Simon, Stéphane Grappelli | Paul Simon | (1:21) |
| Paranoia Blues | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (2:54) |
| Congratulations | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | (3:42) |
